Costume convertible shopping bag



sept. 3o, 195s E D- SWANN l 2,853,710

COSTUME CONVERTIBLE SHOPPING; BAG

Filed May 3, 1955 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 www* n A ERwlN D4 SwANN ATTORNEY Sept. 30, 1958 Filed May 3, 1955 COSTUME E. D. SWA-NN `CONVERTIBLE SHOPPING BAG 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ERw|N D SwANN ATTORNEY Sept. 30, 1958 y E, D, swANN 2,853,710

COSTUME CONVERTIBLE SHOPPING BAG Erwin D. Swann ATTORNEY Sept. 30, 1958 2 E. D. swANN 2,853,710

COSTUME CONVERTIBLE SHOPPING BAG Filed May 3, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet, 4

FIG-17 Erwin D. Swann yam-7 ATTORNEY United States Patent COSTUME CONVERTIBLE SHOPPING BAG Erwin D. Swann, New York,'N. Y. Application May 3, 1955, Serial No. 505,749 s claims. (c1. 2 243) This invention relates to anovelty shopping bag having tear lines in predetermined locations for removing selected portions of the bag to convert the same into a childs play costume, the front and/or rear walls of the bag preferably being suitably decorated.

For an understanding of the invention principles, reference is made to the following descriptions of typical embodiments thereof as illustrated in vthe accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

Figs. l and 2 are elevation views of shopping bags embodying the invention, two different arrangements of tear lines being indicated;

Figs. 3 through 10 are perspective views illustrating various costumes which may be formed from the bags of Figs. 1 and 2;

Figs. l1, 12 and 13 are, respectively, rear and side elevation views and a bottom plan View of the bag of Fig. l;

Fig. 14 is a side elevation View of the bag of Fig. 1 in the folded condition;

Figs. 15, 16 and 17 are, respectively, rear and side elevation views and a bottom plan view of the bag of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 18 is a side elevation view of the bag of Fig. 2 in the folded condition.

Referringto Figs. l and 2, a shopping bag or 10' embodying the invention is illustrated as of the type normally foldable flat for compact storage but opening to a substantially rectangular shape. Bags 10 and 10', when opened, have at bottom Walls 11, 11', flat side walls 12, 12', flat front walls 13, 13', and flat rear walls 14, 14. Handles 15, 15 are secured to the upper ends of the front and rear walls in the usual manner. The bags may have bevelled lower corners 16, 16.

In accordance with the invention, bag 10 is formed with perforated tear lines whereby selected portions may be removed to convert the bag into a boys costume. Thus front wall 13 has tear lines 21 whereby a triangular panel 22 may be removed to provide a neck opening, it being understood that tear lines 21 are continued across bottom wall 11 and into rear wall 14 to define a similar triangular panel in the rear wall. Similarly, tear lines 23, 23 extending in front wall 13, across side wall 12, and vin rear wall 14 define removable panels 24, 24 in front wall 13 (and similarly in rear wall 14) to provide arm openings.

Adjacent the top edge of wall 13, curved tear lines 26, 26 define removable corner panels 27, 27 (also on rear wall 14) leaving a pair of crotch strips 28 having leg openings on each side thereof. Strips 28 may be pinned together to complete the crotch. Tear lines 26 are, of course, continued across side walls 12 and into rear wall 14.

To use bag 10 as a costume, the panels 22, 24 and 27 are removed by tearing along the perforated tear lines.

The child then slips his head through the opening left` 2,853,719 Patented Sept. 3f), 1958 .by removing panels 22 and his arms through the openings left by removing panels 24, 24. Strips 28 are then pinned together to complete a romper type costume, the'handles 15 being removed along with panels 27, 27.

Typical costumes formed from the converted bag 10 are illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6. Figs. 7 and 9 illustrate special adaptations of bag 10 in which the arm openings are used for leg openings and the bag worn like a pair of trousers. This effect is provided by not removing panels 22 and 27, and tearing out only panels 24. Appendages,isuch as wings 17 (Fig. 4) tail 18 (Fig. 6) and straps 19 (Figs. 7 and 9) may be pinned or cemented to the bag. Also, the bag may be suitably marked as indicated at 31 (Fig. 4) and 32 (Fig. 7) to heighten the costume effect.

Bag 10 is formed, in the same manner as bag 10, with perforated tear lines 21 and 23' defining removable panels 22 and 24', respectively, to pro-vide neck and arm openings. However, in this bag, the front, side and rear walls adjacent the open end of the bag'are formed with saw tooth perforated tear lines 36 defining removable panels 37, handle 15 being connected to these panels. When the panels are removed by tearing along the perforated tear lines, a dress having a saw tooth lower edge is provided.

Typical costumes using converted bag 10' are shown in Figs. 5, 8 and 10. In Fig. 5, a belt 33 is added to the dress and the points on the lower edge are cut off. In Fig. 8, only the belt 33 is added, the costume otherwise remaining unaltered. In Fig. 10, streamers 34 are secured to the lower edge to form a hula costume or grass skirt.

In Fig. 3, bag 10 is modified by securing a hat 38 to bottom wall 11, the hat having eye openings 39. A humpty-dumpty marking 40 may be provided on a face of the bag.

The invention arrangement thus provides paper shopping bags which may be used in the normal manner and, after such use, be converted into varied childs costumes by simply tearing out panels along perforated tear lines.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

l. A device of the character described comprising a shopping bag having a front wall, a rear wall, side Walls, and a bottom wall, said walls being foldable to collapse the bag to a fiat position and the bag being openable to a three-dimensional condition with adjacent walls substantially normal to each other; and tear lines in said walls defining a removable first panel at the bottom of the bag extending across the bottom wall and into the front and rear walls, and removable second panels at each side of the bag near the bottom thereof, each second panel extending across a different side wall and laterally into the front and rear walls, and the portions of said panels in said front and rear walls being triangular with their bases at the edges of the front and rear walls; whereby said panels may be removed by tearing along said tear lines to form a childs costume having a neck opening and a pair of arm openings.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which at least one wall has markings for providing a decorative costume.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said tear lines are perforated.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 including other tear lines adjacent the top corners of the bag extending across the side Walls and in the front and rear walls,

spaced from each other to define removable panels at the top corners and central tabs on the front and rear Walls, said tabs being connectible to complete a crotch for a romper type costume.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 including a serrated tear line along the top edge of the bag dening removable panels to form a dress having a serrated lower edge.

References Cited in the ileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Manning May 7, Bennard June 8, Lehman Oct. 14, Chemlinski Feb. 20, Berglund Apr. 14, Martin Apr. 28, 

